Some of the most vulnerable young people in Scotland are not getting the support they need to help them into work, Barnardo’s Scotland has warned.

The children’s charity has called for dedicated employment support to young people, separate from any general employability programmes.

In a submission to the Scottish Parliament’s welfare reform committee, the charity highlighted the opportunity to make use of the proposed devolution of the Work Programme and other Westminster funded employability programmes in the Scotland Bill. It therefore called for the Scottish Parliament to use its new powers in this area to create a separate employability programme to be designed for young people who require intensive support to get into, and stay in a job.

Barnardo’s Scotland argues that current programmes such as the Work Programme have in practice favoured those young people who are relatively easy to support into employment leaving those who need more help ‘parked’ on a programme with little prospect of getting a job.

Martin Crewe, director of Barnardo’s Scotland, said: “Our experience of working with young people tells us that for too many of the most vulnerable or those with additional needs the current Work Programme is not fit for purpose.

“The payment model for this programme means there is an incentive to concentrate on those young people who it is relatively straightforward to get into work whilst those who need more support are overlooked.”

In its submission Barnardo’s Scotland highlights that the ‘redesign of employability support should be used as an opportunity to develop tailored services rather than simply relying on generic programmes, and therefore a separate tailored approach for disadvantaged and vulnerable young people is needed’.

Martin Crewe added: “We have a real opportunity in Scotland to make sure that the support we provide to those young people who have additional needs is the right support. The best way to do this is to take young people out of general programmes and into programmes that are based on and meet their needs. The time for them being at the back of the queue when it comes to getting into work should be over.”

@BarnardosScot